Earth-auger.



F. H. CHASE.

EARTH AUGER.

APPLICATION rum) mu zo. 1909.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.-

1% 7/%0/" 6%? wgdh UNITED STA ES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK H. CHASE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD EARTH AUGER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

.EARTH-AUGER.

To alt whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful H. CHASE, a

.Improvements in Earth-Angers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention 13 to provlde an earth auger of strong and substantial construction in which the blades are rigidly held in position for boring and provided With means whereby one or both of the blades may be readily and easily manipulated to discharge the load.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention Figure l 'is an elevation showing an'earth auger having both blades pivoted. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the anger at a right angle to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3'3 of Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a detail enlarged view, similar to Fig. 1, partly broken away and in section, showing one blade rigid and the other pivoted.

Referring to thedrawings, 5 designates the stem of the auger whichis provided at one end with a handle 6 and at the other end with a head 7. The head may be made in any suitable manner but it preferably consists of a two-part casting of strong and substantial construction and which is se-- 'curely bolted or otherwise mounted on the lower end of the stem.

Both of the bladesmay be pivotally connected to the head, as shown in Fig. 1, but I have found it very satisfactory to make me blade rigid with the head and pivotally connect the other thereto as shown in Fig. 4. As the pivotal connection and the locking and unlocking means for both blades would be the same I will, for convenience,

refer only to the construction of Fig. 4- for i a detail explanation thereof.

llh-ilorring to Fig. 4-. R isa blade which is rigidly connected with the head in any s||ilable manner but it is. 'u'cforably mounted on an arm- 9 which is securely fastvm 'd tothe head by a bolt or rivet 10. The pivoted blade 11 is also mounted on an arm 12 which is pivoted on a bolt or rivet 13. Both of the blades have projections 14 which are arranged to engage stops 15 on/ the head.

The hand grip or sleeve 16 is slidably mounted on the stem above the head and a locking device 17 is pivotally mounted at Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Wee, 13, 1910, Application filed March 20, 1909. Serial No. 484,607.

in Fig. 4 the pivot 21 will be below a line drawn throu ed end 23 o' the projection 24 so that the locking device, or at least the cam thereof, will be wedged in ti ht engagement with and projection. In t is position the pivoted lade is securely and tightly" locked against the pressurewhich may be exerted thereon in boring, and also by the weight of the load which may be carried by the auger. To release the pivoted blade the sleeve 16 is raised, thereby lifting the locking cam device out of engagement with the PIOJQCtiOIl 24 and permittin -the blade 11' to swing on its pivot 13. If oth blades are pivoted they would both be provided with ocking devices and operated simultaneously. My invention stantial device in which the blades are rigidly held in locked osition and are adapted to be very quick y and easily unlocked to permit them to discharge a load. In view of.the fact that the locking device comprises a cam which enga es the projection on the arm of the pivote blade and the peculiar construction and arrangement of tho tipt'l'illlllg means very slight pressure is rm uirvd to move the sleeve 16 in either direction on the stem, while at the same time the pimted blade or blades will be securely held in locked position until the sleeve is raised. The weight of the sleeve, the link and [he locking device is sullicient' to hold the cam in operative engagement. "with the arm 2t and to release the locking device it-is only necessary to lift this weight. The

l gravity cam locking device is normally in locking position, as it should be, to hold the pivoted blade in closed position for boring and to retain the load until it should be discharged. This locking device is very simple in construction and not liable to get out oforder; it is uncovered rand exposed sd that its operation may be observed and its parts h the pivot 20 and the roundprovides a strong and sub I repaired or replaced when necessary, and

the cam operates like a wedge upon the arm the arms, and the arms pivotally connected to the-head. I prefer to provide the head with an opening to receive the rivet or bolt 28 and after. the parts are thus assembled I prefer t6 drill a hole in the extension 27 for said bolt orrivet 28. In this way the rigid blade is seciirely fastened in its proper position on the head. The stops 15 register the blades in proper position when closed but in the case of the rigid blade the rivet or bolt 28 securely holds it.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let'- ters Patent is:

1. An earth auger comprislng a stem, a head on the stem, an arm pivotally connected to the head, a blade in the arm, and a pivoted gravity locking .levice to engage said arm and hold said blade 1 C Gd p0- sition.

2; An earth auger compri ng 3 Stein, 8 head on the stem, an arm pivotally coir nectcd to the head, blade on the arm, and a pivoted gravity cam locking device to engage saidarm and hold said blade in closed ,pos1t1on.

- An earth auger comprising a stem, a head on the stem, an arm pivotally connected to the head, a blade on the arm, a gravity cam locking device to engage said arm and hold'said blade in closedpositio'n, and a sleeve slidably mounted on the stem and connections between the sleeve and said locking device to release the samefrom engagement with the arm.

I it. An earth auger comprising a' stem, a head on the stem. an arm pivotally connect-ed to the head, a blade on the arm, a

gravity cam locking device pivotally mounted on the head to engage said arm and hold said blade in closed position, and means for releasing said locking device from engagement with the arm, said means comprising a sleeve slidable on the stem, and a link pivotally connected to the locking device and sleeve.

5. An earth angel comprising a stein,- a head'on the stem, an arm pivotally connected to the head, a blade on said arm below its pivot, a projection on said arm evtending above its pivot and the head, and a gravity operated cam locking device pivot.- ally mounted on the head and swinging outward from the stem to engage said proiebtion and hold the blade in closed position.

6. An earth auger. comprising a stem, a

head on the stem, an arm pivotally con nected to the head, a blade on said arm below its pivot, a projection on said arni above its pivot, a gravity operated cam locking device pivotally mounted on the head to engage said projection, a sleeve slidably mounted on the stem, and a link pivotally connected to the-sleeve and locking device.

7. An earth auger comprising a stem, a head on the stem, an arm pivot-ally connected to thehead, a blade on said arm below its pivot, a projection on said arm above its pivot, a locking device pivotally moiinted on the head, said device having a groove at its outer end to receive said projection and the base of said groove being formed eccentric to the pivot of the device, and a sleeve slidably mounted on the stem and connected with the locking device for releasing the same. J

8. An earth auger comprising a steni, a head on the stem, an arm pivotally connected to the head, a blade on the arm, and a pivotally mounted gravity locking device independent from said arm to engage the arm and-hold said blade in closed position. :FRANK H. CHASE.

Witnesses:

\VivL-O. BELT, M. A. KIDDIE. 

